1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to chimneys, and particularly to a chimney cleaning apparatus and method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Burning fossil fuels (wood, coal, etc.) in furnaces, stoves and fireplaces produces soot particles that coat the inside surfaces of flues and chimneys. The soot particles contain combustible materials that will readily ignite and burn under the proper conditions, often resulting in dangerous and damaging fires. Regular cleaning would prevent the buildup of soot on the interior walls of the chimneys and flues, thus lessening the chances of a dangerous fire.
There are many tools disclosed in the related art that are utilized for dislodging soot from the walls of chimneys and flues. Unfortunately, these tools have proven to be less than satisfactory, since they often involve dangerous ascents to the roof of a home or building and since they lack the ability to collect the dislodged soot, thereby assuring a messy cleanup. The art would certainly welcome a soot-cleaning apparatus that could be utilized from either the hearth or from roof level, and that would allow thorough chimney or flue cleaning while efficiently collecting dislodged soot. Thus, a chimney cleaning method and apparatus solving the aforementioned problems is desired.